Sparker for gas-engines.



- Patnted Nov. s, 9`o2. I L'. B. SMYSEB. SPARK-EH FOR GAS ENGINES.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1900.)

(No Model.)

lllllllll I BY r WITNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

Louis B. SMYSER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FERDINAND E. CANDA, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPARKER FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patet No. '714,049, date& November 18, 1902. Application filed January 29.1900. Serial No 3,068. (No model.)

TO (all 'Lu/tom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LOUIS B. SMYSER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sparkers for Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in igniting devices for gas, oil, and other explosive and internal-combustion engines, and relates more particularly to what is termed the sparker of igniting devices of thattype em ploying fixed electrodes and a separate circuit-breaking device external to the enginecylinder. Snch sparkers usually consist of a plug arranged to screw into the wall of the engine-cylinder and carrying two electrodes or sparking terminals, one of which is insulated from the other and from the cylinder and frame of the engine by a porcelain or earthenwaresleeve, within which it lies and to which it is connected. The inner end of this sleeve is exposed to the intensely-hot gases in the engine-cylinder, while the outer end of the sleeve is exposed to the outer air. It has been found that owing to the great differences in the temperatures to which the ends of the porcelain sleeve are subjected and also possibly to the difference between the rate of expansion of porcelain and of the metal of the conductor such sleeve soon breals at or near its center, permitting the conductor which it insulates to turn so as to vary the distance between the electrodes or sparking points. In order to overcome this diculty, I divide ny porcelain or earthenware insulating-bushing, in the first instance, into two sections and provide means for holding the sections together firmly and for preventing them or the electrode they insulate from rotating in such manner as to increase or decrease the sparking gap. I also secure the insulated conductorto the insulating-bushing at or near its center, leaving the ends free to expand and eX- tend without straining the porcelain, and I *further provide the said insulated conductor with an integrally formed enlargement or head and with a screw-threaded portion upon which is a clamping-nat, by means of which the said head may be drawn up against the insulating-bushing, so as to hold the conductor in position firmly.

The object of my invention is to avoid the breaking of the insulating-sleeves of igniters and the derangement of the sparking points. This object is attained in the invention herein described, and illustrated in the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, in which the same referencenumerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and in which- Figure l is a central longitudinal section of a portion of an engine-cylinder and of my improved igniter-plug attached thereto, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the igniter-plng.

The igniter or sparker consists of a metal bushing 1, adapted to be screwed into a suitable aperture in a wall of the engine-cylinder 2 and carrying one electrode or sparking point 3, formed of platinum or other suitable material. The other electrode or sparking point et consists of a terminal of platinum or other suitable material electrically and mechanically connected to a conductor 5, inclosed within a two-part insulating-bushing, the sections [of which are numbered G and 7, respectively. The bushing may be formed of porcelain or earthenware. The inner section 6 is provided with a shoulder 8, corresponding With a similar limiting-shoulder of the bushing 1. The outer section 7 is provided with a shoulder 9. A screw-cap 10 screws over the outer end of the bushing l and fits closely to the section 7, and between this cap lO and the shoulder 9 and outer end of the bushing 1 is packing material ll. Asbestos is a suitable packing material. It will be observed that by screwing up the cap 10 this packing material is caused to press the sections 6 and 7 of the insulating-bushing together, holding them firmly within the metal bushing 1, so that they may not rotate therein, and thereby vary the distance between the sparking points 3 and a. As an additional means for preventing rotation of the sections of the two-part insulating-bushing relative to each other and for preventing rotation of the conductor 5 I prefer to provide said'conductor with an enlargement 12, of a square or other polygonal form, fitting Within corresponding recesses in the ends of the sections 6 and 7 of the insulating-bushing. The conductor 5 being thus secured to the insulating-bushing at its center only is free external air, and while there is some condnction of heat from one section to the other the great stresses which exist in a one-piece bushing, due to the difference in temperature of its ends, do not exist in either of the sections of the two-part bushing, and hence there is practically no tendency for either of the sections to break. The screw-cap 1 0 holds the sections of the two-part bushing together firrnly and prevents rotation thereof in the socket.

Having thus completely described ny invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an igniter, the combination With a socket for an insulating-bushing, and a twopart insulating-bushing therein having a longitudinal bore for the reception of an electrical conductor, the outer of the sections of said bushing having at its inner end a recess adapted to receive a head of such conductor, ofa conductor fitting within said bore and having a head located within said recess, means for clamping the conductor to said outer section, and means for holding the sections of the bushing in place within said socket.

2. In an igniter, the combination, with a socket for an insulating-bushing, of a two-' part insulating-bushing, the adjacent ends of which are provided with polygonal-shaped recesses, an electrical conductor within a bore of said insulating-bnshing and provided with a polygonal-shaped enlargement fitting Within the said recesses in the sections of said bushing, and neans for holding the sections of said bushing within said socket.

3. In an igniter, the combination, with an insulating-bushing formed in two sections, provided each with a bore for the reception of a sparking point, and also provided, at their ends, With polygonal-shaped recesses adapted to receive an enlargenent on the sparking point, of a sparking point within said bores, and provided with a polygonalshaped enlargement fitting within the said recesses in the sections of the bnshing.

4. An insulating-bushing for use in igniters, consisting of two sections of insulating material, provided each with a bore for the reception of asparking point, and with polygonal-shaped recesses on their adjacent ends adapted to receive an enlargement on the sparking point.

5. Asparking point for igniters, consisting of a rod of conducting material adapted to be placed within atWo-part insulating-bushing, and provided at an intermediate point with a polygonal-shaped enlargement adapted to fit within recesses in the sections of the bushing.

In testinony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS B. SMYSER.

Witnesses:

HARRY M. MARBLE, RITA BRADT. 

